PARKED FOR GOOD?
Proposed budget to cut deep
into county park programs

BY ZAIN TAIB

T

special correspondent

his year’s county budget is not a walk in the park for Chesterﬁeld County Department of Parks and Recreation. The department is slated to experience approximately $1.6 million
in proposed cuts from the budget, and because of that several
programs and events would permanently be nixed. Plus, some historical
sites would become a memory of the past without alternative funding.
“The budget has to be reduced somewhere,” said Michael Golden, director of Parks and Recreation. “My concerns are -- as far as parks and
recreation – one, we have several staff members who will lose their jobs,
and, two, we have a lot of very good programs we have offered over the
years that we won’t be able to offer anymore,” he said.
Projected cutbacks in programs provided by Chesterﬁeld have resulted in the cancellation of landmark tours, lectures, skill-teaching classes,
and youth and adult programs that cater to all ages, all socio-economic
backgrounds and persons with disabilities. According to Golden, the department is currently looking for different ways of generating revenues,
which include increasing fees for existing programs such as camping,
canoeing, youth programs, and adult programs.
“We are currently creating alternate proposals on how the budget
will be reduced. What we are talking about now might be changed
between now and April,” Golden said, referring to the date that the
Chesterﬁeld Board of Supervisors will meet to conﬁrm the incoming
FY2011 budget.
Elimination of the outdoor adventure and nature programs is currently on the table. That means the closing of Rockwood Nature Center
at Rockwood Park and the challenge course as well as all boating, hiking, outdoor/conservation education and skills development programs
and classes. Rockwood Nature Center hosts approximately 22,800 visitors annually. The department will look for different uses for the center;
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH FARINA
otherwise it will stay empty.
Rockwood Nature Center is only one of the multiple educational programs that are on the cutting board for
None of the proposals are ﬁnal until the April decision, but currently the FY2011 budget. The county’s Parks and Recreation Department is looking at different alternatives to keep
the department has cut some adults programs, which include ﬁve fullprograms aﬂoat through community initiatives and other organizations.

»

see PARKS page 4

EXPLORE

Hop into this year’s
Eggstravaganza

»

EXTRA

PHOTO BY LATIKA LEE

Dr. Lauranett L. Lee, Curator, African-American history at the Virginia Historical Society, presented the history of African-American churches in Chesterﬁeld County. It was the focus of an African-American History Month program held Sunday, Feb. 28.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH FARINA

Midlothian resident Faye Holland, right, and Sherri Sledd are the co-chairs
for this year’s 2010 Eggstravaganza, which will be held March 20.

E

courtesy of Easter Seals Virginia

aster Seals Virginia has kicked off the countdown to its annual
signature Richmond event to beneﬁt services provided to ensure
that all people with disabilities and special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their
communities.
The 2010 Eggstravaganza season was kicked off at a 4th Friday reception at Art Works Inc. on Friday, Feb. 26. The reception offered a peek at
local artists’ “eggart” entries, which ranged from sculptures and paintings to photographed works, including a photo tree that was created by a
camp participant.
The eggs will roll over to a preview party at William Jeffrey’s Jewelers
on Thursday, March 4, from 5:30-9 p.m. There will be spirits and refreshments, a silent auction, and a showcase of new jewelry lines and gifts. Ten
percent of the sales from the evening will beneﬁt Easter Seals Virginia.
There is no charge to attend the preview party, but those interested
must RSVP by calling William Jeffrey’s at 264-2600.
The public is also invited to the black-tie “Easter Finery” event, another Richmond event to beneﬁt Easter Seals Virginia. It is a black tie (or
“Easter Finery”) event with a cocktail buffet and an open bar.
Since Easter Seals enjoyed having the event at La Diff last year, the
group will once again hold “Easter Finery” at the downtown retail store.
Music will be provided by AAA Disc Jockey.
Then it’s on to the hunt: a search for hidden eggs decorated by children who participate in Easter Seals’ programs and VCU students, and
ﬁlled with great prizes, ranging in value from $25 to cash prizes of $100.
Everyone gets a prize.
Next, it’s on to the live auction where “eggsceptional” packages will
be auctioned off with an accompanying special collector egg designed
and created by Richmond artists. Buyers can become the proud owners
of great artwork, and purchase unique party and dinner packages, trips,
airline tickets, ﬁne jewelry, wine tastings, golf packages and spa packages.
Tickets are $125. For more information, to donate items, to participate as an artist or to purchase tickets, contact the Easter Seals ofﬁce at
(804) 287-1007 or visit online at va.easterseals.com.

Event recognizes role of
churches in the community
BY LATIKA LEE

T

special correspondent

he history of African-American churches
in Chesterﬁeld County was the focus of
an African-American History Month program held Feb. 28 at First Baptist Church
of Midlothian. The program, presented by the African-American History Committee of the Chesterﬁeld Historical Society (AAHC), recognized the
formation and establishment of the early black
churches organized during slavery, throughout the
mid- to late 19th century and early 20th century in
Chesterﬁeld County.
As the beat of the Djembe drum sounded the
call to worship, the Rev. Herbert C. Townes, Associate Minister, Mt. Sinai Baptist Church offered a
prayer, “We gather in this place, in the spirit of our
ancestors and our native land.”
AAHC committee member Mrs. Charlene
Anderson said, in reverence, “We remember and
give thanks to our forefathers and mothers who
were brought from foreign lands. We remember the
‘invisible church’ where enslaved people could steal
away for a moment to brieﬂy set aside the oppression of plantation life to worship a God of liberation and freedom.”
The commemoration featured Dr. Lauranett
L. Lee, Curator, African-American history at the
Virginia Historical Society. Dr. Lee’s talk, titled
“Inﬂuences of Church, Family and Community in
Chesterﬁeld County,” weaved together a story of
faith, family and fellowship.

PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY || ONLINE EVERY DAY

“Chesterﬁeld’s geography and limited resources
for African Americans contributed to the closeness of its people. It’s also in our gathering here
today that contributes to its closeness,” Lee said to
the members to the 15 different African American
churches represented in the standing-room-only
sanctuary, with many attendees sitting in the overﬂow rooms.
Lee explained that the story is not just about
buildings but also about the establishment of community during a very difﬁcult period in history.
Many churches united to serve as venues to raise
funds in order to build schools and other churches
pooled resources or used their sanctuaries as school
classrooms. “The stories we tell are about the
people who inhabited those buildings ... they make
up the life and blood of our stories,” Lee said.
Many of the churches were founded in “brush
arbors,” an African-inﬂuenced religious practice.
“This term was known to denote clandestine
religious meetings held in wooded areas or remote
cabins in Africa. The brush arbors represented
the best areas for religious meetings because they
offered a “safe-haven” for enslaved Africans to communicate with God. It was a sanctuary for praying,
healing, sacriﬁce and puriﬁcation,” Lee said.
At the request of the AAHC committee, Lee
quizzed the audience on their knowledge of the
county’s churches. “Name the church that has given
birth to six other churches,” she said.
see HISTORY page 6

2 || March 4, 2010 || MidlothianExchange.com

Question of the week:

March celebration at Monacan High School
“Performing Arts in our Schools Month”

March is known to come roaring in like a
lion and go out like a lamb ... what will you
do to prepare if a snowstorm hits us again?
EDITOR
Elizabeth Farina

editor@midlothianexchange.com

“Keeping ﬁngers crossed for spring
rain, rain, rain. No ice, no snow.
No freezing temperatures. Just
rain - if any precipitation.

SPORTS EDITOR
Sara Page

sports@midlothianexchange.com

“Stay home and stay
warm.”

SALES
Brianna Maag

bmaag@midlothianexchange.com

“I am just hoping we don’t
get anymore! Here or in New
Hampshire where my parents are;
they just got power back after
being out for four days.”

“Orchestra isn’t just a class, it’s a passion. It has given me conﬁdence, a reason to come
to school, and the greatest appreciation for music.”

COURTESY PHOTO

This month Monacan students share what music and theater have meant for them in
school. Here is what the students’ notes on the bulletin board say:

ssnyder@timesdispatch.com

“When there is a group of kids all working together for the common goal of creating a
piece of music, we become great friends, and it improves our teamwork skills.”

“Make sure my husband doesn’t
get his truck stuck in our ditch
again so we can go to a hotel if our
power goes out.

M

I

D

L

O

T

H

I

“In theater I feel like I have talent. I feel like I can do something creative with myself.”
- courtesy of Monacan Chiefs

N

A

EXCHANGE
EX

Students participate in naturalization ceremony

COM

VOL. IV, 5 edition
th

courtesy of Katey Hall Perdue

Greenﬁeld Elementary School students Chang
“Charles” Lim and Georgina
Walmsley with her older
sister Samantha Walmsley,
a Robious Middle School
student, were honored to
be part of the 95 children
between the ages of 5- and
17-years-old representing
many countries from all over
the world who took part in
a naturalization ceremony at
the Virginia Beach Aquarium
on Jan. 29.
After the children pledged
the Oath of Allegiance and
received their Certiﬁcates of
Citizenship they were given
the opportunity to tour the
aquarium.

Now reaching over 63,000 households! In Mechanicsville, Powhatan, Goochland, and Chesterﬁeld.

SCHOLARTRIPS—a travel scholarship program from Mondial Assistance—
help students enrich their education through international travel.
• Open to students in grades 7–12
• Apply at scholartrips.org by April 5, 2010

“All Virginians can be a part of this Pothole Blitz so we
can work together to improve everyone’s safety and comfort
gap in the state budget isn’t the only hole Virginia as they travel through our great commonwealth,” McDonnell
ofﬁcials are trying to ﬁll. They’re also trying to plug said.
potholes that harsh winter weather has left on roads
To report a pothole, call 800-367-7689 or visit Virginthroughout the commonwealth.
iaDOT.org.
Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking Virginians to help the
Did you know?
Virginia Department of Transportation in a “Pothole Blitz”
aimed at repairing the damage.
Q. Who’s responsible for ﬁxing potholes?
“Motorists traveling across Virginia know best where the
A. The Virginia Department of Transportation is reworst potholes lie,” McDonnell said. “We want citizens to
sponsible for patching potholes on the 58,000 miles of
help us identify potholes as they form so that VDOT crews
state-maintained roadways in the commonwealth. If the
can quickly be dispatched to make repairs.”
pothole is on a city street, call the local department of
McDonnell directed VDOT to focus on the Pothole Blitz
public works or city hall. If the pothole is on an Arlington
during March.
or Henrico county road, call the public works department
Crews already have begun work to repair potholes but
in that county. (Those are the only two Virginia counties
have faced setbacks because of repeated snowstorms. Continuous freezing and thawing have greatly weakened roadway responsible for maintaining their county roads.)
Q. What makes a pothole?
pavement – and potholes have been forming faster than
A. Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the
crews can repair them.
“Potholes are a roadway hazard and a nuisance for every
pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws. This weakens
person driving our highways,” McDonnell said. “We are
the pavement. Trafﬁc loosens it even more, and it eventugoing all-out to repair these pavements and make traveling
ally crumbles and pops out.
safer and more comfortable for Virginians.”
Q. How are potholes repaired?
As part of its battle plan, VDOT is prioritizing pothole
A. The pothole is carved out with a jackhammer or
patching depending on where the potholes are located and
masonry saw to create a neat rectangle. When the excess
how severe they are. Crews are assigned routes and work
their way along, ﬁlling potholes as they go. On average, crews asphalt is removed, an adhesive is applied and asphalt
have been able to repair potholes on high-trafﬁc roads within is added in layers. It is leveled off and compacted with
a pavement roller. In some counties, VDOT uses “pothole
four days, state ofﬁcials said.
killers,” which are machines that ﬁx potholes quickly without
VDOT employees remain on guard against potholes but
closing
the road. - Source: VDOT
need other people to keep a lookout, too.
BY SAMANTHA DOWNING

A

Capital News Service

Avoiding U.S. Census scams

T

courtesy of Tom Browning

he ofﬁcial U.S. Census, which is conducted every
10 years and is described in Article I, Section 2 of
2300 block of
the U.S. Constitution, calls for an accurate count of
Tuscora Rd.
people living in the United States and is used as a
Suspect(s) pried
gauge
in
the
allotment of each state’s seats in the House of
Feb. 20
a locked side
Representatives
and in the allocation of funds to citizens in
100 block of Volwindow in an
need.
The
ﬁrst
ofﬁcial
Census was conducted in 1790 under
lie Rd.
attempt to gain
Thomas Jefferson, who was the Secretary of State. That cenentry to the resi- Suspect entered
sus, taken by U.S. marshals on horseback, counted 3.9 million
an unlocked
inhabitants. Since that time, the Census has been conducted
dence.
garage and
every ten years.
removed items
While participation is safe, a certain level of caution is
Feb. 23
from inside. Sus- necessary when divulging personal information. Citizens
7700 block of
pect also entered need to clearly differentiate legitimate U.S. census employee
Bannockbarn
communications from fraudulent activity.
several vehicles
Dr.
It’s important for people to be on guard against predain the same area
Unknown
tory
individuals and organizations who piggyback on ofﬁcial
and removed
suspect(s) gained items from there U.S. Census activities with their own copy-cat schemes to
entry to the
solicit private information. As the Chief Security Ofﬁcer
as well. A witof America’s leading physical security services company, I
victims’ apart-

Feb. 24

believe it is vital to ensure that the American public understands the importance of participating in the U.S. Census
while not becoming victimized by con-artists.
The Census Bureau seeks to determine household information pertaining only to each occupant’s age, address,
phone number, gender, race, birth date and marital status
and whether you own or rent your home. You can view the
questions at: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php, although no census information will be
taken via the Internet. Information requested beyond the
information on this form is likely being perpetrated by scam
artists.
The Census Bureau employs thousands of trained federal
employees to conduct surveys in person, over the phone or
via the U.S. mail. Requests for Census information will be
labeled from the U.S. Census Bureau as “Ofﬁcial Business of
the United States.” A notice from the Census Bureau will be
mailed prior to receiving forms, phone calls or visits from
Census workers. Americans will be asked to complete and
see SCAMS page 5

ness observed
ment through the the suspect and
front door and
called police.
removed property
from inside. No
100 block of
signs of force
Wadsworth Dr.
were found.
License plates
7700 block of
Bannockbarn
Dr.
Victim returned
home and discov-

his year, you may be sick of the hearing about
two things: snow and the state budget.
One had a big impact temporarily, but
the other will have an impact for longer
than a winter season.
The Board of Supervisors decided last week in a
4-to-1 vote not to advertise for an increase in the
tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year even though
housing assessments -- the county’s dominant
source of tax revenue – have decreased.
Were you surprised at the decision? Why or why
not?
In this situation, surprise isn’t really the best
word. There appears to be a hesitation to increase
anything these days (with the exception of energy
and food costs). The budget numbers are being
plugged into various scenarios at county departments in way that’s reminiscent of the last scene in
1983 movie “War Games” where the Uber computer
realizes there are no winners in tic-tac-toe and Armageddon doesn’t happen.
In real life, this is the end of some of the county’s
well-known and beloved programs, and it’s not a
game for anyone involved.
For example, the Chesterfield Senior Center
persevered without a place to call home before the
upcoming proposed cuts. The group, which offers weekday activities for seniors, finally found
two local churches for meeting places. The group’s
members get together for activities such as yoga,
card games and afternoon movies.
The financial cuts will impact this resilient group
of residents who have been through the many other
recessions our country has seen. It is hopeful they
will once again weather the economic downturn.
The Rockwood Nature Center may also be closed
due to budget cuts. Its simplistic cabin housing
little critters native to our area has provided a lot of
laughter for kids and parents. My five-year-old loves
the place as much as I do, and asked me what will
happen to the animals. Simply said, I told her that
they don’t know or care that they’re possibly up for
eviction, but they will find another park.
If the center welcomes more than 22,000 visitors
each year, why not start charging for amenities or
ask for a “suggested” donation like nearby Maymont? That’s just a random suggestion for consideration for any “free” quality-of-life amenity offered
through the county.
What’s your random suggestion for consideration? What programs, departments, and other
county resources do you want saved from the budget cuts? And if the budget was only a dollar, how
would you spend it? Let us know. E-mail editor@
midlothianexchange.com or drop a note in the mail.

» CORRECTION AND CLARIFICATION:

» LETTERS FROM THE INBOX

T

he Chesterﬁeld NAACP issues this statement in response to the Chesterﬁeld School Board’s decision
to terminate the Perrymont Middle School program
for at-risk students as part of the proposed budget

In the Feb. 25 article “Fleet shows more to managment
than wrench-turning time” Prab Rao was misidentiﬁed as director. His ofﬁcial title is Fleet manager. We regret the error.

cessful at the assigned school in their respective attendance
zones. The Chesterﬁeld School Board voted last week to
return these same students to the very schools at which they
failed to make satisfactory progress without offering any plan
cuts.
as to how these students would achieve success. The Board
Perrymont Middle School is an alternative school that
made this decision at the same time it was reducing and
serves students who have fallen signiﬁcantly behind academi- eliminating other support services, math coaches and readcally. The objective of the program is to prepare students in
ing specialists for the most needy and vulnerable students in
the sixth, seventh and eighth grades who are signiﬁcantly be- the school division.
hind in academic and behavioral fundamentals to enter and
The Chesterﬁeld NAACP cannot support the Chesterﬁeld
complete high school. The program of instruction includes
School Board’s budget priorities and the termination of
the following components:
programs intended to serve the needs and interests of eco• The focus is on reading, writing, and mathematics; hisnomically disadvantaged students and youth who have not
tory and science instruction is embedded in instruction in
achieved academic success in the traditional classroom. The
reading, writing, and mathematics;
termination of the Perrymont program is one more example
• Students are taught study skills and self-management
of the Chesterﬁeld Board’s misplaced spending priorities,
skills;
which favor the most academically successful students edu• The school day is longer (6 ½ hours); and
cated in the county’s center-based gifted schools and regional
• The pupil-teacher ratio is currently 12:1.
Governor’s Schools.
The students presently in attendance at Perrymont Middle
The Chesterﬁeld School Board should reconsider the terSchool are there because they were not academically sucmination of the Perrymont program. If these students are to
be returned to their home schools, the Board should require
an annual report on their progress until each child presently
in attendance at Perrymont graduates with a diploma to
MIDLOTHIAN: drop your letter in
ensure that they do not add to an already too high county
the mailbox to
dropout rate.
The Chesterﬁeld NAACP would advocate for the terminaPO BOX 420, MIDLOTHIAN, VA 23113
tion of the annual million-dollar expenditure on the regional
or e-mail
Math and Science Technology Center in Richmond prior
to the closing of Perrymont Middle School. The Math and
EDITOR@MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM
Science Center is a luxury that does not contribute in any
All correspondence submitted for publication must include
measureable way to the academic achievement of county
ﬁrst and last name, and for veriﬁcation purposes only, a
students.
street address, and phone number. Letters may be edited
Arthur Almore
for clarity, grammar & space. Deadline for letters is noon on
Chesterﬁeld NAACP
Monday prior to publication date.

ouse and Senate negotiators
this week will
try to work out
the differences in the state
budgets passed by their respective chambers to close a
$4 billion shortfall.
The House of Delegates
and the Senate approved
their budget bills on Thursday. The Democrat-led
Senate passed its budget on
a 30-10 vote, with the support of nine Republicans.
The Republican-led House
approved its budget on a
61-38 vote, with no Democrats supporting it.
Because of the economic
downturn and a decline in
tax revenues, both proposed budgets for the next
two years would cut state
spending. However, there
are signiﬁcant differences
in how the competing plans
fund core services.
Democrats say the
House budget cuts too
deeply by taking from public schools, health care and
social services. They say it
would force local school
districts to lay off teachers
and other employees.
“I’d rather resign my seat
than vote for a budget that
cuts this from education
and does away with this
many jobs,” Delegate Ward
Armstrong, D-Martinsville,
said. “I could not go home.”
Delegate Lacey Putney,
who chairs the House Appropriations Committee,
defended the document.
“I believe that the budget before us today strikes
a sensible balance between
meeting the core commitments that we as politicians like to talk about and
the burden placed on the
taxpayers who must foot
the bill,” said Putney, an
Independent from Bedford.
To avoid deeper cuts

to education, health care
and law enforcement, the
Senate budget proposal
would raise fees for various
services and impose taxes
on online businesses. The
fee increases would generate more than $300 million.
For example, people convicted of drunken driving
would have to pay an extra
$50 to get their driver’s
license reinstated.
Putney said the budget
debate reminds him of
the saying, “Everybody
wants to go to heaven, but
nobody wants to die.” The
equivalent saying in the
General Assembly would be
“everyone wants a balanced
budget, but nobody wants
to cut it,” he said.
Although there are differences between the House
and Senate budgets, there
also is common ground.
For instance, they both
would reduce the state’s
contribution to pension
plans for state and local
employees by $508 million
over the next two years.
Lawmakers have until
March 13, the last day of
the legislative session, to
fashion a budget on which
they can agree.
Gov. Bob McDonnell said he believes the
House and Senate will
work together to meet that
deadline and to approve a
budget that cuts spending
and doesn’t raise taxes.
McDonnell has outlined
three priorities for the biennial budget:
•
It must be done
on time.
•
It must not
contain any general tax
increases.
•
It must fund his
job creation and economic
development proposals.
McDonnell said he is
pleased that both budget
plans achieve the last two
priorities.
“We will not forget that

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

the reductions we make
will mean hardships in the
near term for many of our
citizens,” McDonnell said.
“There are no easy choices
in closing the $4 billion
budget shortfall that is
unparalleled in Virginia
history.”
A conference committee
of four delegates and four
senators will attempt to
craft a compromise budget
acceptable to both the
House and Senate.
The House members of
the conference committee
are Putney; Republican
Delegates Kirk Cox of Colonial Heights, Chris Jones
of Suffolk, Steve Landes of
Weyers Cave and Beverly
Sherwood of Winchester;
and Democratic Delegate
Johnny Joannou of Portsmouth. They were appointed Friday by House Speaker
William Howell.
The senators on the
conference committee
are Democratic Senators
Charles Colgan of Manassas, R. Edward Houck of
Spotsylvania, Janet Howell
of Reston and Richard
Saslaw of Springﬁeld; and
Republican Senators William Wampler of Bristol
and Walter Stosch of Glen
Allen.
“I’ve seen some difﬁcult
budgets, but never one as
tough as this,” said Colgan,
who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and has
been a senator since 1976.
Putney agreed with that
assessment.
“In my 49 years as a
member of the House, I
have not seen a budget
situation this bad,” he said.
Putney said Friday that
he hopes the conference
committee will begin meeting “early as possible next
week.”
To see how your elected ofﬁcial
voted, visit online at midlothianexchange.com.

from PARKS page 1
time positions and four part-time positions.
The programs provide maintenance and
support for the adult leagues such as basketball, volleyball, ﬂag football, soccer, and
softball programs.
Athletic Manager Bill Carlson explained
that the 15-week programs were reduced to
seven so the season could be wrapped up in
time for the possible decrease. “There are certain ﬁelds that will not be shut down because
they are used by other organizations such as
Robious Middle School and youth leagues, but
ﬁelds such as Warbro Athletic Complex, Bird
Athletic Complex and Lowe’s Soccer Complex
might shut down,” he said.
Currently the department is working on
continuing programs and events through the
help of other non-proﬁt and private organizations. The department has discussed reaching
out to athletic leagues for use of the ﬁelds in
return for maintenance and upkeep of the
facilities. In general, there has been a $60,000
reduction in maintenance of grounds and
facilities. “This is just one option that might
happen. Again, it might change,” Carlson said.
“The response I get with everyone that I
work with is the same response most residents
have. For example, people who are involved
with softball, they live and sleep it,” Carlson
said. “They can have a play at third base where
a person has been called out and 10 years later
they still have that same ‘Could you believe
that happened?’ Across the board, they are
very confused about what is going to ﬁnally
happen. They read the paper and hope for the
best,” he said.
The proposed cuts also have led the department to reach out to Chesterﬁeld Historical
Society to take care of county historical sites
such as Magnolia Grange Plantation, Castlewood, and the County Museum.
The Department of General Services
maintains these buildings and, according to
Golden, they won’t let the sites deteriorate, but
the frequency of maintenance will go down.
The current proposed budget eliminates
funding completely for the sites’ historical
programs, which is $446,300. The elimination
of funding for the historical programs would
critically impact the Chesterﬁeld Historical
Society, a non-proﬁt organization that operates at Castlewood.
“Once you close a historic site the chances
of it opening again are minimal ... The county
government holds these buildings in trust for
Chesterﬁeld citizens. It’s in the interest for the
people of Chesterﬁeld County to keep these
buildings operating,” said Liess van der Linden-Brusse, president of Chesterﬁeld Historical Society.
“How parks and recreation affects us is that
they have ﬁve people – two full-time, three
part-time – who have been working with us
to run these historic sites and some of the

programs,” Brusse said.
“All ﬁve positions are being eliminated so
basically what that means is that we are going
to be shut down. It’s not like the libraries
where they cut back the hours but are still
open. With us they are planning on closing us
down.”
Instead of allowing this fate to fall on the
society, the organization’s Board of Directors
has
allowed Brusse and the past president to
negotiate with the county on an alternative
proposal.
In the proposal given to the county, the
Historical Society is willing to subsidize three
part-time salaries for the next two years
in order to stay open. The hope is that the
county will accept their proposal and they
will continue normal operating hours and
continue to host at least 50 percent of the 85
annual events that they host with Chesterﬁeld
Parks and Recreation.
“We don’t have a Welcome Center here in
Chesterﬁeld. The only thing we do have are
these historic sites within walking distance of
each other that can act as a Welcome Center.
Why close them down?” Brusse said. “History
is who we are. History is an obligation we have
to the future, and you can’t just wipe it out.”
The department’s proposed cuts in capital
may lead to more than overlooking maintenance of softball ﬁelds and park facilities.
Acquisitions of new land would be put on the
back burner and so would the leasing of a new
community center for senior citizens, Golden
explained.
The proposed budget for senior citizen
programs is an estimated $250,000. The
proposal is currently to cut all instructional
programs except for those at community
centers. It also would discontinue the leasing
of space at two churches that currently house
senior programs through the week.
The senior citizen programs have about
a dozen volunteers. However, without much
help from Chesterﬁeld government, the worry
is that these organizations will not be viable,
said Golden.
Also, annual events such as Fourth of July
ﬁreworks at the County Fairgrounds and the
Parade of Lights down the James River would
be put on hold because there aren’t enough
funds. Instead, the department is hoping
that groups such as the James River Advisory
Council can pick up where county funds are
no longer available.
“If the county has a lesser role in helping
many of these organizations it may be harder
for them to have enough volunteers. The
concern is that if the county government isn’t
involved to some extent, [these programs]
may lose some of their viability,” Golden said.
“So it’s not just what the county can’t do, but
what the community [can’t do if] they don’t
have the assistance.”

MidlothianExchange.com || March 4, 2010 || 5

STUFF TO DO STUFF TO DO STUFF TO DO STUFF TO DO

Chesterﬁeld County Public Library
hosts “Writers Workshop 2010” at
Central Library at 9501 Lori Rd.
Chesterﬁeld. The session will be
held from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Registration and payment are required.
The $30 nonrefundable registration
fee includes a box lunch and is

MARCH 12-13

VaHomeschoolers is pleased to
announce the 2010 Conference and
Resource Fair set for March 12-13
at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen
Allen. Noted homeschool author
and advocate Linda Dobson will
present three exciting sessions.
Other highlights include practical

The Chesterﬁeld Women’s League
will meet at Foxﬁre Club House,
5532 Light Parkway, Moseley
23120. A certiﬁed personal trainer
will be leading a discussion about
exercise and nutrition. Doors open
at 9:30 am. Guests are always welcome. Refreshments are provided.
For more information please contact Carolyn at: (804) 745-6070.
Saint Patrick’s Day concert with
Adam Miller, one of the premier
autoharpists in the world and one
of the great interpreters of American folktales and folksongs from
7-8:30 p.m. at Central Library in
Chesterﬁeld. Join him in a celebration of the Irish roots of American folk culture. This program is
recommended for adults and teens.
After the performance, Miller’s recordings will be available for purchase and autographing. Registration is required and begins March
3. Please register online at library.
chesterﬁeld.gov or by calling (804)
748-1603.

more events online at
midlothianexchange.com

Wasabi

to enter your home. The
representative can provide
you with supervisor contact
information. You can also
call the regional ofﬁce phone
number for veriﬁcation or
the Census Bureau.
•Civility is Central to Census – U.S. Census employees
are instructed to be civil with
every citizen or non-resident
that they contact. If you
come across an ofﬁcial who is
acting in an intimidating or
aggressive manner, you have
the right to refuse to divulge
information and to report
this person to the authorities.
Census workers are bound
by law to keep your informa-

tion conﬁdential and are not
permitted to share it with
anyone. If you prefer not to
share your information in
person, complete and return
the form you receive by mail
from the U.S. Census Bureau.
For more information,
visit the United States Census
at www.2010census.gov and
the Better Business Bureau at
www.bbb.org.
About the author: Tom Browning is
Chief Security Ofﬁcer and Vice President of Compliance at AlliedBarton
Security Services, www.alliedbarton.
com, the industry’s premier provider
of highly trained security personnel.

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money or a donation. Steer
clear of anyone purporting
mail back the 10-question
to be with the Census Bureau
census form when it arrives
who asks for monetary donain mailboxes around March
tions. Similarly, the Census
15-17.
Bureau will not request
The following tips will
passwords or access to bank
help you recognize frauduaccounts, credit cards and
lent activity or unofﬁcial data other ﬁnancial information.
collections to keep predators
•Be an ID Watchdog – If
at bay while ensuring your
a census worker visits your
valid participation in the
home, ask for identiﬁcation.
important census process:
It is the duty of every U.S
•Don’t Get Social – The
Census employee to provide
U.S. Census does not request their identiﬁcation to every
your social security number person that is being visited.
so do not divulge this infor- All Census workers carry
mation to anyone claiming to ofﬁcial government badges
be a U.S. Census representa- marked with their name. A
tive.
Census taker will never ask
•Avoid Phishing Trips
– The U.S. Census is not
conducting any surveying via
the Internet so any e-mails or
other electronic communications received are fraudulent
“phishing trips” that should
be immediately reported as
spam and deleted. “Phishing” is the unlawful practice
of attempting to acquire
private information such
as usernames, passwords,
social security numbers,
bank account and credit card
details by masquerading
as a trustworthy person or
organization in an e-mail or
via instant messaging. Often
the “phishers” direct you to
enter this private information at a fake Web site that
looks almost uniform to the
back
legitimate one.
Indians bounce
estone
with win over Blu
•Don’t Pay Cents (or
Dollars) for Census – The
Census Bureau never asks for Will schools, BOS face

from SCAMS page 8

T

he arts are often ignored in politics, but that wasn’t
the case at the Virginia Capitol last week.
On Thursday, artists from across the state waited
outside the House of Delegates Chamber, making
a line that sprawled over two ﬂoors and around the stairs.
Their message to legislators was clear, indicated by a simple
name tag on their shirts: “Save the Arts.”
The artists converged on the Capitol to oppose a Feb. 21
recommendation by the House Appropriations Committee. The committee voted 15-7 to cut next year’s funding for
the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50 percent and to
eliminate the agency by July 1, 2011. The commission currently receives more than $4 million a year from the state. It
uses the money to provide grants to arts groups throughout
Virginia.
On the other hand, the Senate Finance Committee adopted the proposed budget submitted by former Gov. Tim
Kaine. It would continue funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts. House and Senate negotiators now are
trying to come up with a compromise state budget for the
next two years.
Thursday was Arts Advocacy Day, organized by a group
called Virginians for the Arts. The organizers said they were
delighted with the turnout.
Beth Temple, a board member for Virginians for the Arts,
said she hopes the event will make a difference in whether
the Virginia Commission for the Arts survives.
“I think we can demonstrate the arts have had an effect in
almost every legislative district,” Temple said. “We are trying
to get our legislators to understand the economic importance
of art – not just the aesthetic importance.”
Many arts groups already are struggling because the economic downturn has hurt their ﬁnances.
David Briggs, a member of the board of directors of the
Signature Theatre in Alexandria, said the theater has simpliﬁed productions and cut staff because of a decrease in funding. Briggs also said such cutbacks have a ripple effect on the
local economy.
“When a theater is dark and there is a restaurant next
door, the restaurant is not as busy,” Briggs said.
Heidi and Sam Rugg of Barefoot Puppets in Richmond
brought their children to the Capitol for Arts Advocacy Day.
They said their puppet-show audiences have declined since
the recession.
Heidi Rugg said she was puzzled by one thing:
“We’re standing in this beautiful building, with beautiful
architecture and art, and politicians can stand in this building and want to cut the arts?” she asked. “I can’t wrap my
head around that.”
Meanwhile in the House Chamber, delegates debated
proposed budget cuts on everything from health care and education to the arts and parks. Legislators must cut $4 billion
in spending to balance the state budget. The House voted
61-38 Thursday to approve a proposed budget containing
the House Appropriations Committee’s recommendation to
slash funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
In a speech on the House ﬂoor, Delegate Lacey Putney,
I-Bedford, said he had not seen such a grave budget situation
in his 49 years as member of the House.
“I am reminded of the quote that ‘Everybody wants to go
to heaven, but nobody wants to die,’ ” said Putney, chairman of the Appropriations Committee. “I guess the budget
equivalent of that saying would be that everyone wants a
balanced budget, but nobody wants to cut it.”

PO

SATURDAY, MARCH 13

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17

Capital News Service

SP
E

International and Independent Film
Series presents “Troubled Water”
at Midlothian Library branch on
Coalﬁeld Road in Midlothian from
7-9 p.m. The collection of ﬁlms
from around the world includes
both feature-length narrative ﬁlms
and documentaries, as well as
short ﬁlms, all of which have been
featured in the world’s top ﬁlm
festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and Tribeca. This
month’s ﬁlm will be “Troubled
Water.” These ﬁlms have not been
rated and are for adults aged 18 and
over. No registration is required.

Surf’s up and St. Edward-Epiphany
School is calling all alumni, parents, supporters and friends to enjoy a little fun in the sun at its 18th
annual auction and community
gathering. The “Sees in the Sand”
event will be held at the St. Edward
activity center, from 6:30 until 11
p.m. A silent auction kicks off the
event, followed by a live auction
and $500 cash rafﬂe. Cost for the
event is $35 per person. A list of
auction items can be previewed after March 1, on the school website
at http://www.seeschool.com. For
information or to register for the
event, visit the website, or contact
Andee Moore, event chairwoman,
at (804) 641-1388. The St. Edward
activity center is located at 10701
West Huguenot Rd., in Bon Air.

BY VERONICA GARABELLI

D

The Cosby Titan Band, in conjunction with the bands of Swift Creek
and Tomahawk Creek middle
schools will present their annual
“Pyramid Concert” on Thursday,
March 4, in the Cosby Theater.
The show begins at 7 p.m. and admission is $5 per seat. Tickets are
available the week of the concert
and at the door as supplies last.

due no later than Friday, March 5.
Only cash or check payments will
be accepted. Registration forms are
available at all Chesterﬁeld County
Public Libraries or may be printed
from our Web site library.chesterﬁeld.gov. Please call (804)7176381 for more information.

CR A
F

com. Subject line: EVENT

SUB 03/03 & 04

E-mail your event to editor@midlothianexchange.

Arts advocates ﬁght
for funding at the GA

another great EVENT from gilmore showS

call 336.282.5550 or visit our website for more information:

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6 || March 4, 2010 || MidlothianExchange.com

COURTESY OF GORDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Gordon Elementary School holds “Hoops and Hugs for Haiti”
All of the children participated in various activities at the mid-February event to show
their concern and compassion for the country of Haiti. Students and faculty wore red and
blue clothes, the colors of the Haitian ﬂag, to show support. The students went to the gym
and put monetary donations into a Haitian “hoop” and then hula hooped to Caribbean
music. They then continued on to the art room or music room where they created ban-

Junior Woman’s Club Cinderella
Dreams project collecting now

I

courtesy of Midlothian Junior Woman’s Club

ners and Valentine’s cards to send to their peers in Haiti.
Terri Cooper and Terry Poland added that the students raised $3071.61 and made over
100 of the cutest cards you have ever seen! We are so proud of our children and their
families for doing this! The money will be sent to The Clinton Bush Haiti fund from W. W.
Gordon Elementary.

from HISTORY page 1

t’s a Cinderella story. You’re invited to the big dance, but have nothing to
wear. It happens…and not just in fairy tales. This year the Midlothian Junior
Woman’s Club and Melissa Chase of Cox Radio will play Fairy Godmother to
girls needing dresses for their special nights.
The Cinderella Dreams project provides prom dresses for area high school
girls, lifting the ﬁnancial burden of parents and teens on a tight budget. Starting
Feb. 8 and continuing through March 8, gowns and accessories are being collected
at Richmond area YMCAs and Puritan Cleaners. Donated gowns should be from
2005 or later and in new or like-new condition. Accessories should also be in new
or like-new condition.
The collected dresses and accessories will be available at a shopping event
where girls can try on and select their favorite dresses -- all for free. A donation
of $5 is suggested. To “shop” for a dress, girls can come to the Village Market Place
Shopping Center at 13172 Midlothian Turnpike in Midlothian, on Friday, March
19, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Girls will be
helped on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis.
To learn more about this year’s Cinderella Dreams project and to ﬁnd out how
you can help make prom magical for a girl in need, go to www.cinderelladreams.
net or contact Beth Fitzwater, the 2010 Cinderella Dreams project chairwoman, at
(804) 218-1429.

Founded in 1846, First
Baptist Church of Midlothian
is recognized as the oldest
African American church in
Chesterﬁeld County. It was
organized by the large slave
and free black population
that worked for the local coal
mining companies. The ﬁrst
church was built on the property of the Grove Shaft Mines
and was originally named the
First African Baptist Church of
Coalﬁeld.
Lee continued with questions about other churches in
the community. With the calland-response style of worship
known in African American
churches, the congregation
shouted answers upon hearing
their own churches’ facts. She
also examined Virginia legisla-

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tion and its impact on enslaved
and free African people’s
ability to gather to worship.
African Americans were not
allowed to assemble publicly,
as prescribed by law. Lee’s
research has documented education, black businesses and
community life, including the
history of black schools, during segregation. Many visitors
in the audience had attended
either the former Hickory Hill
School or Carver High School.
Also recognized was the
late Brenda Friend Briggs, a
founding AAHC member who
was posthumously honored
by the AAHC chair Cornelia
Owens Good. Beulah Baptist
Church member Mrs. Lula
Walker Jones, who was born
in 1903, was also recognized
for her enduring life. Chesterﬁeld County Deputy County

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Administrator Millard “Pete”
Stith and Chesterﬁeld County
School Board member Omarh
Rajah, along with his children,
were also in attendance.
Throughout the afternoon
program, the Community
Mass Choir, directed by Paulette Rainey with energetic
accompaniment by Gerald
Jackson, offered a moving rendition of “Jesus We Give You
the Honor and Praise,” as well
as a medley of spirituals. Table
displays of African-American
artifacts, pictorial histories and
memorabilia ﬁlled the annex,
showcasing the contributions
of the church institutions.
AAHC member Sarah Gregory
lit a candle in honor of the
past, present and future. “We
remember, give thanks and
have hope for future generations.”

t took a little time for
the Cosby girls’ basketball team to readjust
to the size of the Siegel
Center ﬂoor during Thursday
night’s semiﬁnal game, but
once they did, there was no
doubt they were back where
they belonged.
The Lady Titans poured in
12 points in three minutes to
start the second quarter and
never trailed again as they
earned a bid to the Central
Region ﬁnal and the VHSL
Group AAA quarterﬁnal
games with a 76-44 decision
over Highland Springs.
“I feel like we had a slow
start. We weren’t playing the
best defense in the ﬁrst quarter
and we were just kind of sluggish,” Cosby guard Andrea
Bertrand said.“We haven’t
played on a big court like this
[this year]. It was a shock, I
know, to me.
“Second quarter I think we
really stepped it up, and we
knew if we don’t play better,
this is going to be a lot harder
than it needs to be,” Bertrand
continued.
The second quarter run
proved to be a total team
effort. Kelsey Conyers started
things rolling with a defensive
rebound that put the Titans
on a fast break. She dished to
Becca Wann under the hoop
for a short jumper. Wann
added another two to her
totals off a fast break with
Jazmin Pitts and picked up
two assists on a pass from the
top of the key to Pitts in the
paint and a beautiful bounce
pass to Pitts 30 seconds later.
Pitts picked up six points and
a blocked shot.
“At the beginning we were
giving them a lot of secondchance shots, and when we
came in at the end of [the
ﬁrst] quarter, coach [Rachel
Mead] lit a ﬁre under our

butts and said,‘You better box
out,’. I think when we ended
their second chance shots, that
helped us on our fast break
and that’s when we got the
majority of our points,” Wann
said.
Wann ended the evening
with a triple-double. She
scored 23 points, handed out
10 assists and hauled in 17
rebounds. Bertrand added 28
points, and Pitts ended with 15
points, 12 rebounds and four
blocked shots.
Jazzmin Dabney led Highland Springs with 13 points
and Kyra Coleman put up 12.
The win sets up a showdown in the Central Region
ﬁnal between two teams that
are undefeated in the state of
Virginia. Cosby will take on
Thomas Dale, which was a
75-49 winner over Huguenot
in Thursday’s ﬁrst semiﬁnal
matchup, Monday night at 6
p.m. at the Siegel Center.
The Knights are 25-0 entering the game while Cosby is
25-2 having lost two games at
a winter break tournament in
Tennessee.
“It’ll be a lot of fun. It’ll be a
war,” Mead said.“I think it’ll be
the last man standing. It’ll be a
lot of fun.”
“Their shooters – Alyssa
Frye, Andrea Hobbs -- and
of course you have Ka’lia
Johnson, who you can’t really
stop her from scoring, but you
can deﬁnitely slow her down
– those are probably going
to be our main focuses right
now,” Bertrand said.
A ﬁnal score was not available by press time. The Central
Region champion will host
the Eastern Region runnerup while the Central Region
runner up will travel to the
Eastern Region champion host
site. The VHSL Group AAA
quarterﬁnals begin Friday and
PHOTO BY PATRICK DOBBS
Saturday and move back to the Cosby’s Jazmin Pitts serves up a rejection notice on a Highland Springs shot. The Lady Titans advanced to the Central Region
Siegel Center on Wednesday.
title and the VHSL Group AAA tournament with a 76-44 win over the Springers.

Lautzenheiser
shines at state
BY BRIAN J. FRENCH

O

Media General News Service

ne of the unique features of a large track
meet is that one person
can beat a whole team
if that person does well in a lot of
events.
Midlothian’s Kathleen Lautzenheiser was not the only
Trojan to score in this weekend’s
Group AAA state meet at the
Boo Williams Sportsplex, and
she wasn’t the athlete to score the
most points (that honor went to
Shakeela Saunders, who had all 41
of Great Bridge’s points to place
second as a one-woman team).
But Lautzenheiser was a big
reason why Midlothian ﬁnished
third with 35 points, behind
champion Western Branch (78)
and Great Bridge.
Lautzenheiser opened the
weekend by winning the 3,200meter relay Friday with teammates
Claire Benjaman, Marie Johnston
and Amy Witt, running the anchor
leg to lift the Trojans to a time of
9 minutes, 20.43 seconds to beat
second-place West Springﬁeld by
more than eight seconds.
She came back Saturday to capture the 1,600 despite only having
the ﬁfth-fastest seed-time heading
into the race. She turned a 4:55.72,
besting her seed-time by more
than 12 seconds and defeating
Ariel Karabinus of Osbourn Park
by more than three seconds.
Lautzenheiser ﬁnished her day
by placing second in the 3,200,
losing the lead late to Sophie
Chase of Lake Braddock and
falling by .58 seconds. Still, it was
enough for her to have a hand in
28 of the Trojans’ points, and her
individual output of 18 would
have tied Phoebus for 10th were
she a team unto herself.
“I was going for a personal
best” in the 1,600, Lautzenheiser
said, “and I got it by two seconds.
I’m pretty excited about that.
There’s a lot of competition here,
and there’s a better running environment.”
After an unexpectedly fruitful

ﬁrst day of the meet Friday, when
area teams won four individual
state titles, the Central Region had
a quieter day Saturday.
The only other individual
champion yesterday was Henrico’s
DreQuan Hoskey, who won the 55
hurdles in 7.53 to beat Lakeland’s
JaQuan Demiel, who had a 7.61.
That was an improvement of .17
seconds from his Central Region
meet-winning run at the Arthur
Ashe Center.
“Today, I was more focused,”
Hoskey said. “I was more into the
race today. I knew I had to bring
it harder.”
Cody Snyder of Lee-Davis was
second in the 1000, and Nikki
Nunn placed second in the long
jump.
Third-place ﬁnishers included
Quintin Fulgham of Thomas
Dale (long jump), Marie Johnson
of Midlothian (1,000), Anthony
Finney of Varina (300) and Deep
Run’s Madalyn Nuckols (3,200).
Nuckols was also fourth in the
1,600.
Western Branch swept the boys
and girls titles, but while the girls
won with plenty of room to spare,
the boys had to survive a remarkable comeback by Landstown in
the meet-ending 1,600 relay.
The Eagles, who needed to
win the event to pass the Bruins,
saw their title hopes dashed when
their third-leg runner fell on the
backstretch shortly before he was
to hand off the baton. But anchor
leg runner Darrell Wesh, whose
6.30 in the 55 earlier yesterday was
the fastest time among high school
runners in the country this year,
almost topped that by quickly
making up ground on Booker T.
Washington’s Jermond Colston
and Bethel’s Eric Thomas to set up
a scintillating backstretch run to
the ﬁnish line.
Booker T. Washington ﬁnished
ﬁrst with a time of 3:26.21, followed by Bethel at 3:26.28 and
Landstown at 3:26.31.
Brian J. French is a special correspondent
for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Final tournament
highlights Medford season
BY SARA PAGE

O

spage@midlothianexchange.com

oos and aahhs were audible in the James River
High School gymnasium last Thursday as
a group of students carried a large,
purple contraption onto the basketball court.
It stood on a pyramid shaped
base and extended about 10 feet
in the air. The arm terminated at a
round end.
The contraption is called the
“Flame Thrower” in honor of
James River’s Medford League
basketball team “Rapid Fire.” It
was designed by students in the
school’s First Organization and
Robotics Club and was inspired by
a catapult.
With the arm extended straight
out and ﬂat, athletes load a basketball into the round end. The athlete
then holds the attached rope and
tugs. The amount of force applied
to the rope determines how far
the basketball ﬂies when the arm
moves into the standing position.
“This is a ﬁrst generation design,” club president Katy Waters
said. “We’re currently working
on a new, more accurate design
that would be more ﬂexible to the
needs and abilities of the individual
athlete.”
The Flame Thrower has been
in use for two seasons. During
regular season games, the Flame
Thrower is brought onto the court
at halftime.
“We do what we call comp
shots,” explained Randy Early,
teacher of students with moderate
intellectual disabilities at James
River High School and coach of
Rapid Fire. “At halftime, the students who don’t normally get in the
game shoot free throws using the
Flame Thrower. For each shot they
make, both teams get one point so
that the students feel like they’re
contributing but we don’t change
the scoring margin.”
The Flame Thrower is used at all
Rapid Fire home games. Thursday’s
demonstration was part of the

PHOTO BY SARA PAGE

James River took on Meadowbrook in the Medford League ﬁnal last week.

Medford League ﬁnals, which featured six teams in three shortened
exhibition games and culminated
in the championship game between
James River and Meadowbrook.
James River pulled out a thrilling
victory in front of a packed house

and showed off their basketball
talent. The event also showcased the
support that the Medford League
has received in the area.
James River students packed
see MEDFORD page 8

8 || March 4, 2010 || MidlothianExchange.com

EXERCISE

»congratulations

Fritz recounts
‘A Moment
with a Legend’
BY SARA PAGE

W

spage@midlothianexchange.com

riting is like NASCAR. It takes time to develop;
it’s sometimes painful; and it can often feel like
you’re going around in circles. And, once you
get your ﬁrst piece published, it feels a whole
lot like crossing the ﬁnish line.
Richmond International Raceway President Doug Fritz
now knows that feeling.
“I’m extremely pleased about it. Shocked a bit but
pleased,” Fritz said.
Fritz joined the ranks of published authors last month
with the release of “Chicken Soup for the Soul NASCAR,” the
latest in the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The
book contains 101 stories from folks in various parts of the
business from track presidents to drivers and their families
and friends. The stories range from funny to touching. Fritz’s
story, “A Moment with a Legend,” falls closer to the latter.
Beginning on page 15, Fritz recounts his only meeting
with the founder of NASCAR, Bill France Sr., and recounts
how that meeting touched his career. The then aspiring NASCAR public relations and marketing professional was told
simply that “NASCAR is all about family.”
Full story online at midlothianexchange.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCDONALDS

Cosby’s Becca Wann and Jazmin Pitts were recognized
for being nominees for the McDonald’s High School AllAmerican team this year. McDonald’s supervisor Rick
Neville, right, presented each athlete with basketball
gear and gift certiﬁcates on behalf of local owner/operator Dave Traub.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BUDDY OMOHUNDRO

PHOTO BY SARA PAGE

Clover Hill is one of the newest additions to Medford League
teams this year.

Over Valentine’s Day weekend, Elby Omohundro, a
fourth-grader at Robious Elementary School, competed
at the 2010 AAU Northeast Conference Indoor Track
and Field Championships at Harvard University in
Boston. Elby competed in three events in the Bantam
Division (long jump, high jump and 400-meter run).
Elby won both the long jump and the high jump and
set meet records in both events. In the 400-meter
event, he came from behind in the last 20 meters,
lunging across the ﬁnish line to win a third-place
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLAN CARMODY medal by only three hundredths of a second. Elby now
Robious Middle School won the 2009-2010 Chesterﬁeld holds three AAU Northeast Conference records. He set
the Sub-Bantam Division long jump record in 2009.
County Middle School Boys Basketball Championship
with a win over Fallen Creek Middle School.

to play.
The southern division
the gymnasium all mornadded three new teams this
ing, cheering on the athletes. year and now features eight
The pep band kept the event teams from Monacan, Marocking and the student
toaca, L.C. Bird, James River,
government association lined Clover Hill, Meadowbrook
the sidelines and provided
and Prince Edward high
a tunnel for the athletes to
schools. Athletes typically
run through. According to
play their games during their
Early, the atmosphere was in- lunch periods on Thursdays.
dicative of all regular season
games for Rapid Fire.
“We have had amazing
support from the James River
community and the SGA,”
Early said.
The cheering turned
to a roar when Rapid Fire
was introduced prior to the
championship game. As the
ﬁnal athlete ran through the
tunnel, the stands erupted
into the well-known “Go
Rapids” cheer.
The Rapids used a bit of
a height advantage to pull
out a two-point victory then
posed with their trophies as
an impromptu dance party
broke out on the gym ﬂoor.
“Every team went home
with a trophy and T-shirts,”
Early said. “We had a couple
of students in the Leadership
program use their senior
projects as fundraisers for
this event so that we could
purchase the trophies and
shirts.”
The league is designed
for students with intellectual
disabilities and features two
geographic divisions: one
north and the other south of
Indian Cuisine
the James River. It was developed in the mid 1980s by
Z.T. Medford with the goal
of giving anyone who wants
to play basketball the chance
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The 11th annual Virginia Dance Festival was held at James River High School
on Saturday, Feb. 27.
The beneﬁt, created from the vision
of Jessica Morgan of Jessica Morgan
School of Dance (pictured lower right),

beneﬁted The Children’s Hospital
Foundation of Richmond. Both performances of the dance festival with a
silent auction has raised over $115,000
for the Richmond Children’s Hospital
in the last ten years.

A wide genre of dance performances
ranging from Hip Hop to the classic
Swan Lake excerpt delighted the audiences at the two shows.

All real estate advertised
herein is subject to the
Virginia Fair Housing Law,
which makes it illegal to
advertise “any preference,
limitation or discrimination based on race, color,
religion, national origin,
sex, elderliness, familial
status, or handicap.”
We will not knowingly accept any advertising for
real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons
are hereby informed that
all the dwellings advertised are available on an
equal opportunity basis.

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